Rough Point and Doris Duke’s Flower Gardens

In my four years in Newport, I have only visited the Breakers, Rosecliffe, and, as of today, Rough Point.

Doris Duke, the last owner of Rough Point, played a major role in restoring Newport to being a beautiful, living historical destination. Duke, who was a tobacco heiress who inherited a fortune from her father, bought over eighty properties in Newport and restored them to their former glory. A traveler, an athlete, an avid learner and a compassionate person who believed in noblesse oblige, the idea that the wealthy have an obligation to give back, Duke left an estimated $1.2 billion fortune to the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation when she passed away in 1993. Rough Point, Duke’s summer residence, is now part of the Newport Restoration Foundation, another organization founded by Doris Duke.

I strongly recommend seeing Rough Point–the tour guide had not only given a full overview about the mansion, but also provided a full picture of who Doris Duke was.